Notre-Dame fire in pictures: 850 years at the centre of French life

A huge fire swept through the roof of the famed Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris last night, sending flames and huge clouds of grey smoke billowing into the sky.

Tuesday 16 April 2019 11:41

Rosalind Erskine

It took firefighters hours to control the blaze. which resulted in the collapse of the famous spire to collapse. The cause is unknown but officials have said it was possibly linked to ongoing renovation work.

5. Flames and smoke rise from the interior

A spokesman for the cathedral told AFP that the wooden structure supporting the roof was being gutted by the blaze.